Advanced Television

OTT

NOW TV on PS4

Now TV has launched on PlayStation 4 bringing Sky Movies, Sky Sports and TV on-demand to Sony’s latest gaming console. To access the streaming service, users are required to purchase the relevant subscription, with a Sky Movies month pass available for £8.99, (€11.3) an Entertainment Month Pass for £4.99, and a Sky Sports day pass […]

July 24, 2014By Nik Roseveare

TVPlayer adds Bollywood channels

TVPlayer, the free live streaming platform in the UK with over 40 channels, has expanded its popular DESI pack, by licensing channels Zing and Lamhe from South Asian Entertainment Network – ZEE Entertainment. Zing is the leading British Asian Bollywood Lifestyle channel in the UK offering a mix of entertainment shows, music and movies. Lamhe […]

July 24, 2014

BBC explains iPlayer outage

Richard Cooper, the BBC’s Controller of Digital Distribution for BBC Future Media, has posted a blog explaining the background to the serious incident over the weekend which impacted BBC iPlayer, BBC iPlayer Radio, and audio and video playback on other parts of bbc.co.uk, which also forced the Corporation to use its emergency homepage for prolonged […]

July 23, 2014

World Cup shows multi-screen behaviour

Conviva, a provider of video analytics, delivery optimisation and big data processing, has revealed its findings from the World Cup. Conviva’s analysis of the streamed event demonstrates viewers’ insatiable desire for live sports and high-quality content, forcing content providers to focus their efforts on improving video quality and viewer experience across all screens, not just […]

July 23, 2014

Netflix: “We’ll invest in French content”

Reed Hastings, CEO of online entertainment service Netflix, has confirmed the company will invest in local content when it enters the French market in September. Speaking on Netflix’s Q2 earnings call, Hastings said the company was not seeking to dodge any obligations to fund local productions or pay relevant taxes. “We’re not really trying to […]

July 22, 2014By Colin Mann

Nine acquires HBO’s Quickflix stake

Australian online entertainment service Quickflix has confirmed that Australian media group Nine Entertainment has taken a minority stake in the company through a deal with US television giant Home Box Office. Quickflix said Nine had reached an agreement to acquire all of HBO’s redeemable convertible preference shares. The shares can be converted into an 8 […]

July 21, 2014By Colin Mann

Mediaset Infinity VoD on Chromecast

Infinity, the VoD service of Italian commercial broadcaster Mediaset, is now available on Chromecast. Users of Google’s streaming media device, launched in Italy last March for €35.00, can access Infinity’s catalogue of movies and TV series. The subscription costs €6.99 per month for access via tablet, smartphone or PC, while the subscription for viewing on […]

July 18, 2014From Branislav Pekic in Rome

Disney deal for Netflix Canada

Netflix Canada and The Walt Disney Studios have agreed a multi-year licensing deal that will bring first-run Disney live-action and animated films to the online streaming service. Starting in mid-2015, Netflix subscribers throughout the country will be able to watch new movies from Disney’s live action division, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel […]

July 18, 2014

Computers lose ground to Smart TVs, tablets for online viewing

Computers were the first devices used for watching TV online, and even today they remain the single most commonly used device for online viewing. However, research suggests that online viewing is beginning to shift away from computers and toward mobile devices and Smart TVs. According to the annual What’s TV Worth study from Hub Entertainment […]

July 17, 2014

Saffron, KDDI launch Anime OTT service

KDDI, the Japenese mobile network, has strengthened its relationship with Saffron Digital after selecting the OTT provider to design and build Anime Pass, a new specialist multi-platform video service, which offers unlimited anime content. The new service has been launched in response to the increasing popularity of anime, which is a market worth approximately $1.7 […]

July 17, 2014